Horizontal locking device for copyholders



July 15, 1952 J. E. sPRlGGs l HORIZONTAL LOCKING DEVICE FOR OOPYHOLDERS 2 SI'IEETS-SI-IEET l Filed Oct. 27. 1950 4x1.. 1 i l I i I Il.: l l l I bww o J. E. SPRIGGS HORIZONTAL LOCKING DEVICE FOR COPYHOLDERS July 15,v 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Oct. 27, 1950 lwwwwwwwiww.. n.

f w,\%wlwl&wi-lf- Q- m f 7 N WMA M lllllwul .H NN IIU Q l I N mw um Il- WN www mw mw l@ John Eric f6 Patented July l5, 1952 HomzoNrAL LooKING DEvIoE ron ooPYnoLDERs n John Eric Spriggs, London, England, assigner to Pictorial Machinery Limited, London, England,

a British company Application October 27, 1950, Serial No. 192,406 In Great Britain May 9, 1950 Clarins; (c1. ssl-24) This invention concerns improvements in or' relating to copy-holders and printing frames for photo-process copying equipment. type of copy-holder incorporates a main frame within which thecopy is releasably held under a hinged cover; and the copy-holder is mounted at opposite sides on trunnions for swivelling movement between the vertical position where the copy is displayed before the camera or light source, and a horizontal position for loading and unloading of the copy within the holder when the hinged cover is raised.

` In a modication of the last construction, instead of hingedly securing the cover to the copyholder, it is made as a separate part, which is adapted `to be releasably clamped tothe copyholder in such a way that, when the copy-holder is in a horizontal position, the cover is capable of being lifted bodily clear of the copy-holder so as togive clear access thereto for insertion and removal of the copye The present invention is concerned with the last type of construction oi copy-holder in which the cover is adapted to be lifted clear of the copy-holder.

The main object of the invention is to provide improved supporting means for holding the cover during the lifting and lowering operation relativelytothe copy-holder.`

According to the present invention there is provided, for a copy-holder of the type described, means for-supporting its cover in a horizontal position so as to enable it to be raised and lowered relatively to the copy-holdencomprising a body having a pair of spaced recesses adapted releasably to receive projections at a side'oi lthe cover, a bolt carried by the body for movement in and-out of the position for locking each ofthe projections or both of the projections intheir recesses, so as to secure the cover tothe body and retain it in the horizontal position and a plunger carried by the body for operatingl each or both bolts. Y i

In a convenient construction, the plunger member is constituted by a portion of a liitable standard for Vraising and lowering the cover above -a stationary copy-holder mounted for swivelling `movement about a horizontal axis betweenvertical and horizontal positions. Thus the body may be mounted for the sliding movement on one or more standards, or extensions thereof, in such a way that it is capable of limited vertical movement between a locking position at which,r the bolt or each bolt is in-a locking position and a release position at which the bolt or each bolt is released from its locking position.

A common It is preferred to operate a bolt from a plunger through the medium of a cam. In a convenient construction, one end of the bolt is formed as a catch for eo-operating with one of the recesses and the other end of the bolt is formed with an oblique cam lface for engagement by a thrust kelement such as aroller on a stud, which is carried by the plunger for movement .transverse to the bolt, so that movement of the plunger in its guide in one direction acts to thrust the bolt to its locking position through inter-engagement of the thrust element and cam face. Spring means may resiliently hold the bolt in an inoperative position. i y

In the preferred construction, the cover ofthe copy-holder is adapted to be raised and lowered in a horizontal position by two pairs of standards, disposedat opposite sides of the cover, adapted to be raised and lowered by a suitable driving mechanism so as to raise and lower the cover. At the upper ends of each pair of standards is fitted supporting means having the construction already described, with a body portion of elongated shape eXtending horizontally and for-med with vertical guides for a pair of upstanding plunger rods projecting from the upper ends of the standards, each such plunger rod being fitted c with a thrust member adapted to engage the cam surface at the inner end of a bolt mounted in a guide for horizontal movement, the outer end of the bolt being adapted to serve as a catch for.

(zo-operating with a recess adjacent to the end of the body for receiving a projection in the form of a pin or peg iltted to the adjacent side of the cover.

One construction of this device in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example withreierence to the accom panying drawings in which: 1

Figure l is a side elevation of a lifting head, with a portion of a cover plate broken away in order to show the internal construction;

Figure 2 is a plan View taken on a line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the right-hand portion of the device shown in` Figure l with the moving parts in an alternative position; and

Figure 4 is an elevation, to a smalle-r scale, showing the manner in which the coverA turns with the copy-holder Vafter release of the holding device.

The copy-holder is shown in chain lines at I0, and its cover at Il. The copy-holder is iitted centrally at opposite sides with trunnions I2 iitted in bearing blocks I3 so as to be capable of swivelling movement about the horizontal'axis of the two trunnions, in the manner shown in Figure 4. In this way the copy-holder I and its cover Il can be swung from a vertical position, in which the copy is displayed before the camera, or light source to a,l horizontal position at which the copy can be inserted in or removed from the copyholder. To gain access to the interior of the copy-holder, the cover II is lifted bodily clear of the copy-holder, as shown by arrows in Figure 4, the copy-holder I0 remaining stationaryA in i horizontal position.

Raising and lowering of the cover II is, effected by a pair of standards or vertical shafts I4 disposed at each side of the copy-holder. The shafts I4 are fitted for sliding movement inl a suitable frame or casing I5, being operated by an electric motor through gearing or other suitable mechanism (not shown). Across the upper ends of each pair of shafts I4 is fitted a lifting head adapted releasably to be securedA against the adjacent side of the cover II. The lifting head is of elongated form andY it incorporates a bodi7 portion I of dished formationover which is fitted alcover plate I'I. This cover plate is. located by pins I8 and secured by socket-headed screws I9. rI he back wall of the body I6 is formed with two spaced vertical guides 20 which are a sliding fit over upstandingV extensions 2I of rod-like form on the upper end of the shafts I4. Threaded into each shaft extension 2l is a stud 22 that projects through a slot 23 in the guide 20. On the outer end of the stud is fitted a roller 24.

The body I6 is formed with two horizontal guide-ways 25 in each of which is fitted a bolt 26 in the form of a plate. The inner ends of these bolts adjacent the rollers 24 extend obliquely so as to form cam faces 21. Each cam face 21 of the bolt 26 is held resiliently in contact with the roller 24 by means of a compression spring 28 fitted within a rectangular recess 29 in the bolt. One end of the spring 28 bears against an end of the recess, and the other end is engaged in the head 39 of an anchor bolt 30 secured to the back wall of the body I6.

At its two outer ends the cover plate Il is formed with recesses 30, 3| for receiving pins or studs 32 tted laterally to the adjacent side of the copy-holder cover. It will be seen that the recess 3) opens upwardly and the recess 3| opens downwardly. Heads 33 on the pins or studs 32 project into the body of the head IE in the path of the bolts 255. Attheir outer ends the bolts are of curved formation as shown at 34, so as partially to embrace the heads 33 at the open sides of the recesses 30, 3l when the bolts are in the locking position shown in Figure 3. In this way the bolts then act to retain the pins or studs 32 within the recesses. When it is required to turn the copy-holder from a horizontal to a vertical position, as shown by the arrows in Figure 4, the various parts will be in theposition shown in Figure l, in which the bolts are retracted so as to leave the pins or studs 32 to swing out of them as the cover II turns with the copy-holder I0. Suitable clamping means are provided for holding together 'the copy-holder I0 and its cover II.

For raising the cover II when the copy-holder I-tlis in a horizontal position, the driving mechanism is operated to elevate the pairs of shafts I4 at. the sides of the copy-holder. During the initial movement of the shafts I4, the upstanding extensions 2I will be free to slide in the guides 20 of the body I6, until the collars 35 on the shafts engage bosses 36 on the bottom of the body I6, as shown in Figure 3. As the result of the ex- 4 tension 2I thus sliding in their guides, the rollers 24 move up the slots 23 and right along the cam faces 21, so' thrusting the bolts 26 against the resilient pressure of the springs 28, outwardly towardsthe ends of the bodyl I6. vThe catch portions 3II at the outer ends of the bolts then move to a locking position for retaining the pins or studs 32 within the recesses.

With continued upward movement of the lifting shaft I4, the cover I I is lifted bodily upwards clear of the copy-holder I0, and it is locked securely in a horizontal position by reason of the body Iii and `cover plate I1 of ,the lifting head remaining seated through their weight on the collars 35.

During the return movement of the lifting shafts I4, the lifting heads remain seated on the collars 35 until the cover II rests on the copyholder I0. Further downward movement of the shafts brings the collars 35 clear of the lifting heads, to the position shown in Figures 1 and, 4*, during which final stage the rollers run down the slots 23 in order to permit the retraction of the bolts 26 under the action of the springs, 28. The pins or studs 32 are then free to move out of the recesses 30, 3 I.

I claim:

1. For a copy-holder of the type described in photo-process copying equipment, means for supporting the cover of the copy-holder in a horizontal position so as to enable the cover tov be raised and lowered relatively to the copy-holder, comprising the combination of a body mounted for limited vertical sliding movement on vertical extensions serving as plungers at the upper ends of a pair of vertical shaftsl capable of axial Inovement for raising the cover through the body, a pair of recesses opening, respectively upwards and downwards spaced apart horizontally and disposed adjacent to the ends of the body for releasably receiving pins or pegs projecting from the adjacent sideof the copy-holder cover, a pair of bolts mounted for horizontal sliding movement in the body, each bolt having its outer end shaped to project over one of the pins or pegs on. the cover so as to lock it in its recess, a spring acting resiliently to withdraw each bolt from its locking position, and a thrust pin or roller on each plunger portion of the shaft held by a springv in engagement with an oblique cam face on the inner end of the bolt, in such manner that sliding movement of the plunger relatively to the body acts through the thrust pin or roller and cam tor slide4 the bolt to a locking position. i

2. For a copy-holder of the type described in photo-process'copying equipment, means for supporting the cover of the copy-holder in a horizontal position. sov as to enable the cover to be raised and lowered relatively to the copy-holder,

comprising two bodies mounted at opposite sides of the. cover on the upper ends of vertical shafts guided for axial movement to raise and lower the cover relatively to the. copy-holder, a pair of spaced recessesv in each body opening respectively upwards and downwards, and. spaced apart horizontally for releasably receiving projections on the adjacent side of the cover when the latter is in a horizontal position, releasable means for locking the projections in their recesses so as to secure the cover in a horizontal position on the bodies, land release means operated by the vertical shaftsA on their reaching a lowered position when the cover rests on the copy-holder for releasing the locking means and therebygpermitting the projections on the cover to move out of the recesses to enable the cover to be swivelled with the copy-holder on its trunnions into a vertical position.

3. Supporting means as claimed in claim 2, wherein the locking means for the projections comprises a bolt slidably fitted on the body and associated with each recess, said bolt being movable between a locking position where it overlies zontal position so as to enable the cover to be raised and lowered relatively to the copy-holder, comprising the combination at each of two opposite sides off' the cover of a body mounted forv limited vertical sliding movement on Vertical extensionsserving as plungers at the upper ends of a pair of. vertical shafts capable of axial movement forraising the cover through the body, a pair of recesses opening respectively upwards and downwards spaced apart horizontally and disposed adjacent to the ends of the body for releasably receiving pins or pegs projecting from the adjacent side of the copy-holder cover, a pair of bolts Vmounted for horizontal sliding movement in the body, each bolt having its outer end shaped to project over one of the pins or pegs on the cover so as to lock it in its recess, a spring acting resiliently to withdraw each bolt from its locking position, and a thrust pin or roller on each plunger portion of the shaft held by a spring in engagement with an oblique cam face on the innerfend of the bolt, in such manner that sliding movement of the plunger relatively to the bodyr'acts through the thrust pin or roller and cam to'v slide the bolt to a locking position.

JOHN ERIC SPRIGGS.

REFERENCES CITED `Theffollowing references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,521,632 Klitsche Jan. 6, 1925 1,831,389 Jones Nov. 10, 1931 1,908,388 Watson May 9, 1933 2,012,693 Rieback Aug. 27, 1935 

